Today marks my seventh year of marriage to Tracy Elizabeth Thomas! Seven years - and four children - later, I love you more than I can express.
You are the prototype of a virtuous woman. The longer I know you (14 years now), the more amazed I am by you. Your depth, yet simplicity, draws me to you. Your childlike faith that is always mixed with a deep reliance in all that God is for you in Christ Jesus makes me want to love Jesus more. Your love for God's Word, for God, and for the salvation of the unregenerate keeps me focused on first-things.
Your mothering nature, always knowing the right thing to do when a child needs something, causes me to force myself to not act surprized when your attempt works every time! Your patient response every time someone says, "Four!? You know how to stop that don't you?," is wonderful to observe. Can a mom love her children more than you love yours? Impossible!
Your willingness to to endure seven moves in seven years - as we've followed this divine mandate to plant Grace Church - is awe-inspiring. Your eagerness to love the city, see the crack-heads come to Christ, and become the "neighborhood Grandma" makes me want to reach "our people" even more!
Simply put, your hospitality is amazing. Not a few times I've called (while on the way home) to ask if 5-10 (sometimes 20) people can join us for dinner, and (so far) it has always been met with a "No problem" on the other end! How do you do that? I try to find something to eat and end up with a Little Debbie, you manage to whip up a four-course meal at the drop of a hat? It is no exaggeration to say that our door is a revolving one. How many people's feet have been under your kitchen table in the last seven years? Literally weekly, somtimes nightly, for the past seven years, you have played the hostess. And that with unspeakable grace. I love you for loving others.
People love you. People. Pretty much everybody that knows you. Overstatement? Nope. Kids, adults, rich, poor, black, white, introverts, extroverts, and especially the nut-case you have for a husband! You ooze lovablilty. It's not difficult to love the lovely.
That's another thing God has shown me through you. He is the Altogether Lovely. It should not be difficult to love Him. For you, loving God seems effortless. I know you battle with unbelief, with pride, with sin. As I've told you many times before - You are wicked. Desperately wicked. Apart from Christ there is no hope for your sin-blackened soul. Because of God's indescribable mercy, you are clinging to Christ as your only hope. I love you more for loving Jesus more than you love me!
I'll put it to you like this. Tonight's date is a miniscule way to say I love you. You deserve every minute of the 90 minute professional massage you will get at Gould's, every taste of the choice sirloin, every complement from my lips, and every hug you will receive. To say "I love you" appropriately, it will take a lifetime. That's just what we'll do! Happy "Versery" Trace! I love you!!!!!
You are the prototype of a virtuous woman. The longer I know you (14 years now), the more amazed I am by you. Your depth, yet simplicity, draws me to you. Your childlike faith that is always mixed with a deep reliance in all that God is for you in Christ Jesus makes me want to love Jesus more. Your love for God's Word, for God, and for the salvation of the unregenerate keeps me focused on first-things.
Your mothering nature, always knowing the right thing to do when a child needs something, causes me to force myself to not act surprized when your attempt works every time! Your patient response every time someone says, "Four!? You know how to stop that don't you?," is wonderful to observe. Can a mom love her children more than you love yours? Impossible!
Your willingness to to endure seven moves in seven years - as we've followed this divine mandate to plant Grace Church - is awe-inspiring. Your eagerness to love the city, see the crack-heads come to Christ, and become the "neighborhood Grandma" makes me want to reach "our people" even more!
Simply put, your hospitality is amazing. Not a few times I've called (while on the way home) to ask if 5-10 (sometimes 20) people can join us for dinner, and (so far) it has always been met with a "No problem" on the other end! How do you do that? I try to find something to eat and end up with a Little Debbie, you manage to whip up a four-course meal at the drop of a hat? It is no exaggeration to say that our door is a revolving one. How many people's feet have been under your kitchen table in the last seven years? Literally weekly, somtimes nightly, for the past seven years, you have played the hostess. And that with unspeakable grace. I love you for loving others.
People love you. People. Pretty much everybody that knows you. Overstatement? Nope. Kids, adults, rich, poor, black, white, introverts, extroverts, and especially the nut-case you have for a husband! You ooze lovablilty. It's not difficult to love the lovely.
That's another thing God has shown me through you. He is the Altogether Lovely. It should not be difficult to love Him. For you, loving God seems effortless. I know you battle with unbelief, with pride, with sin. As I've told you many times before - You are wicked. Desperately wicked. Apart from Christ there is no hope for your sin-blackened soul. Because of God's indescribable mercy, you are clinging to Christ as your only hope. I love you more for loving Jesus more than you love me!
I'll put it to you like this. Tonight's date is a miniscule way to say I love you. You deserve every minute of the 90 minute professional massage you will get at Gould's, every taste of the choice sirloin, every complement from my lips, and every hug you will receive. To say "I love you" appropriately, it will take a lifetime. That's just what we'll do! Happy "Versery" Trace! I love you!!!!!
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